Combination drinking straw and wheel spoke cover

ABSTRACT

A combination drinking straw and wheel spoke cover comprising an elongated, open-ended tubular body of flexible plastic having an elongated tear strip extending longitudinally from end to end, whereby prior to removal of said tear strip the article may be used as a drinking straw, whereas after removal of the tear strip a longitudinal slit is exposed that permits the body to be snapped over a wheel spoke to provide an ornamental cover for same.

United States Patent 1191 Speers et al.

[ Mar. 12, 1974 1 COMBINATION DRINKING STRAW AND WHEEL SPOKE COVER [75]lnventors: Samuel F. Speers, North Attleboro;

David F. Stewart, North Reading; Henry J. Leboda, Burlington; Michael E.Quattrochi, Acton, all of Mass.

[73] Assigncc: Hasbro Industries, Inc., Pawtucket,

RI. by said Speers [22] Filed: Dec. 27, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 318,722

521 US. (:1. 239/33, 301/37 SA 51 1111.01 ..A47g 21/18 58 Field ofSearch 138/128, 156, 157, 170,

138/151; 229/51 TS, 93; 239/33; 46/1 R;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,997,043 8/1961 Flynn220/53 UX 990,658 4/1911 Kunpf 138/128 777,771 12/1904 Bettis 220/932,408,253 9/1946 Diebold 138/128 X 3,346,187 10/1967 Mueller 239/333,612,612 10/1971 Gannon ..30l/37 SA Primary ExaminerM. Henson Wood,.lr. Aszs-istam Examiner-John J. Love Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Salter &Michaelson [57] ABSTRACT A combination drinking straw and wheel spokecover comprising an elongated, open-ended tubular body of flexibleplastic having an elongated tear strip extending longitudinally from endto end,-whereby prior to removal of said tear strip the article may beused as a drinking straw, whereas after removal of the tear strip alongitudinal slit is exposed that permits the body to be snapped over awheel spoke to provide an ornamental cover for same.

8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures COMBINATION DRINKING STRAW AND WHEEL SPOKECOVER BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The provision of elongatedtubular members, having a longitudinal slit extending from end to endfor permitting said members to be snapped on to the wheel spoke of abicycle or the like for ornamental and decorative purposes, is known inthe art, as illustrated, for example, by US. Pat. No. 3,612,612 issuedOct. 12, 1971.

The present invention is concerned generally with spoke covers of thisnature, but is particularly directed strip the article may effectivelyfunction as a drinking straw; and after use as such, the tear strip maybe easily removed, thus exposing a longitudinally extending slit whichpermits the article to be snapped on to a wheel spoke or the like toprovide an ornamental cover for same.

By constructing the drinking straw and its tear strip of suitablenon-compatible plastic materials, the straw, with its tear strip adheredthereto, may be readily and economically manufactured by conventionaldual extrusion means. At the same time, the straw may be gaily coloredso as to enhance the appeal of the article, both as a drinking straw andas a wheel spoke cover.

Although the prime use of the invention after it has been used as adrinking straw is as a wheel spoke cover, the invention is obviously notso limited, since the invention could also be used to cover and decorateother wire-like items, such as, for example, wire bicycle baskets andthe like, or even car radio antennas, in connection with which the usewould not only be decorative, but also would serve as identifying meansto permit the car to be more easily located in crowded parking lots,etc.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become.apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered inconnection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings which illustrate the bestmode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drinking straw constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the straw of FIG. 1with the tear strip partially removed;

FIG. 4 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a slightly modified form of strawconstruction; and A FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of abicycle wheel or the like with the spoke covers assembled thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, and particularlyto FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, there is shown generally at 10 a drinkingstraw comprising an elongate tubular body 12 open at its opposite ends14, 16. The body 12 is provided with a longitudinal slit 18 whichextends from end to end thereof, and which is covered by an elongatedtear strip 20. As will be seen most clearly in FIG. 2, the width of tearstrip 20 is substantially less than the circumferential dimension ofbody 12, although the thickness of tear strip 20 and body 12 aresubstantially equal, it being noted that the longitudinal edges 22, 24of tear strip 20 are in aligned, abutting engagement with the opposedlongitudinal edges of slit 18.

The body 12 and the tear strip 20 are preferably constructed ofnon-compatible flexible plastic materials, although the latter couldconceivably be of a rigid material. As used herein, the termnon-compatible refers to plastic materials which will notappreciablyfuse or unite with each other during extrusion, although said materialswill lightly and releasably adhere to each other as a result of the heatand pressure that is present. For example, in practice, it has beenfound that the tear strip may be effectively and economicallyconstructed of polypropelene, while the body 12 may be effectively andeconomically constructed of polyethylene, or one of the polystyrene ABSmaterials, or of an XT polymer; although, as previously stated, it isonly important that the body 12 and tear strip 20 be constructed of anysuitable nontoxic, flexible plastic materials which will not unite orfuse with each other under heat and pressure, such as during extruding,but which will nevertheless lightly and releasably adhere or stick toeach other.

In the manufacture of the straw 10, it is preferred to simultaneouslyextrude the body 12 and the tear strip 20, it being understood thatseparate extrusion dies will be used for the body 12 and the tearstrip20 but that the dies will be so oriented that the composite straw 10will be produced, all in a manner well known in the art. It will beunderstood that when the straw 10 is produced by being extruded, theopposed longitudinal edges of the tear strip will be caused to lightlyadhere or stick to the opposed longitudinal edges of slit 18 as a resultof the heat and pressure employed, although it is important to note thatno appreciable fusion between the tear strip 20 and body 12 will takeplace. The aforesaid physical bond between tear strip 20 and body 12 issufficient to permit the article 10 to effectively function as adrinking straw; but after such use, the tear strip 20 may be readily andeasily removed, as illustrated in FIG. 3, to uncover or expose the slit18. In accomplishing this, the tear strip 20 may either be manuallygrasped at one of its ends and then torn away, or else the straw 10 maybe compressed or bent sufficiently to commence dislodgement of the tearstrip 20, after which it may be readily grasped and torn away. Once thetear strip has been completely removed, the inherent resilience of body12 will cause the slit 18 to partially close, as illustrated in FIGS. 3and 4; but being of flexible material, the body 12 may be manipulated toenlarge slit 18 in order to permit the body to be snapped over the spokeof a bicycle wheel, as illustrated inFIG. 6. Specifically, it will beunderstood that the spokes 26 of wheel 28 receive the covers 12, whichare readily and easily mounted on said spokes simply by forcing thespokes through the opening 18, whereupon the cover 12 will in effectsnap thereon.

It has also been found that after use as a straw, the article may beapplied to or mounted on a wheel spoke or the like simply by aligningand pressing the tear strip against the spoke, which pressure causes thetear strip to break away and the cover 12 to simultaneously snap on tothe spoke. This method of mounting has the obvious advantage ofeliminating the extra step of first removing the tear strip, while atthe same time doing away with any manipulation of the body 12 to enlargeslit 18, as aforedescribed.

In FIG. 5, a slightly modified form of our invention is disclosed,wherein two longitudinal tear strips 30 and 32 are provided on tubularbody portions 34, 36. Prior to removal of the tear strips 30, 32, thearticle shown in FIG. 5 functions as a drinking straw in the same manneras aforedescribed, after which both of the tear strips 30 and 32 areremoved, whereupon the inherent resilience of the portions 34 and 36will cause each of them to curl or assume a generally roundconfiguration in cross section, whereupon a pair of wheel spoke coversare provided from the one drinking straw. In all other respects, thearticle illustrated in FIG. 5 is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1through 4.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structureembodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the artthat various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventiveconcept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms hereinshown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is: i 1 g 1. A combination drinking straw and wheelspoke cover, comprising an elongated tubular body of constantconfiguration throughout its length and completely open at both of itsends, said body having a longitudinal slit extending from end to endthereof, a separate tear strip of substantially the same length as saidbody releasably adhered to said body and covering said slit, wherebysaid body may be used as a drinking straw before the tear strip has beenremoved, and whereby removal of the tear strip permits the body to besnapped over a wheel spoke to cover same.

2. The article of claim 1 further characterized in that said body andsaid tear strip are constructed of noncompatible plastic materials, saidbody being flexible.

3. The article of claim 2 further characterized in that said plasticmaterials are extrudable.

4. The article of claim 3 further characterized in that said tear stripis polypropelene.

5. The article of claim 4 further characterized in that said body iseither polyethelene or polystyrene.

6. The article of claim 1 further characterized in that the width ofsaid tear strip is substantially less than the circumferential dimensionof said body.

7. The article of claim 6 further characterized in that said tear stripand said body are of substantially the same thickness, with thelongitudinal edges of said strip being in aligned, abutting engagementwith the opposed longitudinal edges of said slit.

8. The article of claim 1 further characterized in that .said body has apair of diametrically opposed slits, and

a pair of tear strips covering same, whereby removal of the tear stripsprovides a pair of wheel spoke covers.

1. A combination drinking straw and wheel spoke cover, comprising anelongated tubular body of constant configuration throughout its lengthand completely open at both of its ends, said body having a longitudinalslit extending from end to end thereof, a separate tear strip ofsubstantially the same length as said body releasably adhered to saidbody and covering said slit, whereby said body may be used as a drinkingstraw before the tear strip has been removed, and whereby removal of thetear strip permits the body to be snapped over a wheel spoke to coversame.
 2. The article of claim 1 further characterized in that said bodyand said tear strip are constructed of non-compatible plastic materials,said body being flexible.
 3. The article of claim 2 furthercharacterized in that said plastic materials are extrudable.
 4. Thearticle of claim 3 further characterized in that said tear strip ispolypropelene.
 5. The article of claim 4 further characterized in thatsaid body is either polyethelene or polystyrene.
 6. The article of claim1 further characterized in that the width of said tear strip issubstantially less than the circumferential dimension of said body. 7.The article of claim 6 further characterized in that said tear strip andsaid body are of substantially the same thickness, with the longitudinaledges of said strip being in aligned, abutting engagement with theopposed longitudinal edges of said slit.
 8. The article of claim 1further characterized in that said body has a pair of diametricallyopposed slits, and a pair of tear strips covering same, whereby removalof the tear strips provides a pair of wheel spoke covers.